Danny Phantom: Mirror of Truth
by Lady-Valiant
Summary: Danny wakes one morning to find Vlad in his house and that Sam has disappeared. To find her, Danny must travel through time. Easy enough, except that Clockwork is now dead, and his darker self can now control time. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Time After Time

Fifteen-year-old Danny Fenton walked sluggishly into the bathroom. He blinked into the mirror, his sky blue eyes staring back at him sleepily. "Morning, Danny!" Jazz called. "Danny, you need to get ready for school! Oh, and you should know that…"

"Morning, Daniel."

Danny whirled around, frowning. "Plasmius! I'm going-"

"Danny!"

Danny hesitated as Jack Fenton came bumbling up the stairs. "Isn't this great? Mayor Vlad came to see us this morning!"

"Dad…" Danny said carefully, "But Vlad is-"

"Ah, Jack, did you ever notice how similar they look?" Vlad asked.

"Who?"

"Daniel and the ghost boy."

"Wh-but they-" Danny stammered. _They already know I'm half-ghost. They already know Vlad is, too! He tried to take over the world! What's going on?_

It had been four months since Danny and the ghosts of the Ghost Zone had stopped the asteroid that would've destroyed them from hitting Earth. Since then, Danny had become a national hero, and nearly everyone knew his secret. "I don't see the resemblance!" Jazz interrupted quickly, her toothbrush in hand.

_You'd have to be an idiot to not…_

"Are you kidding, Vlad? Danny looks nothing like Danny Phantom!"

"What are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"Why, can't an old friend stop by to visit the Fentons, Daniel?" Vlad asked, ruffling Danny's hair.

"Danny, don't you need to get ready for school?" Jazz asked.

"Actually, I'd like to ask Vlad something."

"Jack! Breakfast!" Maddie called from downstairs.

"Breakfast!" Jack exclaimed, running down the stairs.

"I'm going ghost!" Danny called, as soon as Jack was out of sight.

"I'll cover for you," Jazz said, racing downstairs.

"Why don't they remember?"

"Remember what, Daniel?"

Vlad grinned before changing into his ghost form. "Why don't they remember I'm Danny Phantom?" Danny asked. "Why don't they remember who _you _are?"

"They shouldn't know unless you told them," Vlad said, "And for your sake, I very much hope you didn't."

Danny glared at him. "You must've done something."

Vlad laughed and aimed an ecotblast at Danny. Danny dodged and frowned. "What's going on up there?" Jack yelled.

Danny hesitated and turned back into his human self. "Don't you need to get to school, Daniel?" Vlad taunted.

"This isn't finished," Danny muttered.

"Oh, I quite agree."

***

Danny approached Casper High, sighing deeply. It was a cool morning- with the still lingering presence of winter. He spotted his friend, Tucker, and waved. "Danny!" Tucker called.

"Where's Sam?"

Tucker frowned. "Are you okay, man?"

"What?" Danny asked. "Where's Sam?"

"We're still looking."

"What do you mean you're looking?" Danny asked.

Tucker sighed and shook his head. "Have you been getting sleep?"

"Yes, I'm fine! Where is Sam?"

Tucker looked at him doubtfully. "Danny, Sam has been missing for nearly a month now."

"What? She- she…how?"

"We don't know," Tucker replied. "We're looking. See, we have flyers."

Tucker held out a flyer, and Danny stared in disbelief at the paper. An incredibly grouchy-looking Sam wore a fluffy pink dress and tiara, her black hair in its normal ponytail. "But…what's going on? Tucker, do you know I'm…Danny Phantom?"

"Well, duh! Seriously, man, what's wrong?"

"I don't know! I woke up this morning, and Vlad was in my house…and my parents didn't remember I was Danny Phantom…and…"

"When did you tell them?"

"They saw," Danny said, "After the asteroid. Don't you remember?"

"What asteroid?"

"The one that…never mind."

Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, we're going to be late," Tucker muttered.

Danny shook his head. "No…I have to get to Clockwork. He might know why time is so messed up."

"Danny, if you miss first period-"

"No time, Tuck," Danny said, turning into Danny Phantom.

Danny shot into the air, flying as fast as he could home.

***

"Clockwork! Clockwork?"

Danny stepped into Clockwork's lair, but the ghost was nowhere to be seen. "Clockwork!"

The ghost boy nearly tripped and looked down at his feet. "A time medallion?"

He placed the medallion around his neck and continued floating through the lair. "Clockwork!"

Another object caught his eye, dented and broken on the floor. Danny frowned and knelt before the object. _The Fenton Thermos? _

Danny felt a shiver run down his spine. A broken Fenton Thermos. What could that mean? Nothing had escaped the Fenton Thermos- not without being released by someone else, and Clockwork certainly wouldn't have released…_him_. Did that mean Clockwork was…? Danny dropped the thermos and continued walking through the lair. "Danny!"

He jumped and found himself staring into a pair of bright, green eyes. "Come on, Sam!" he called.

Danny carefully reached forward, then chuckled. _It's like a ghost T.V., _he thought. _With me?_

Sam smiled, leaning up to kiss him. Both the T.V. Danny and the real Danny blushed. "Cute, isn't it?"

"Clockwork! I wondered-"

Danny turned around and saw himself again- in another screen- standing beside Clockwork. "Yes," the not-quite-real Danny said.

"Okay, on the scale of creepy and weird, this is about an eight," Danny muttered.

Another screen popped up, showing him and Vlad. "Okay, now it's definitely a _ten_."

Danny stepped away, watching as more screens appeared around him. "What's going on?" he muttered.

Another screen appeared, and Clockwork stared right at him. "Danny Phantom."

Clockwork stepped out of the screen and shook his head. "We seem to have a slight problem. Don't you agree?"

"Clockwork, what's going on?" Danny asked. "The time line is…screwed up."

"I couldn't agree more."

Clockwork looked at him curiously and shook his head. "It seems your evil self is causing some trouble."

"How? He- he escaped the Fenton Thermos! Does he have Sam? Where is she?"

Clockwork snapped, and another screen hovered closer to them. Danny saw himself- his darker self and Sam. "Sam…" he whispered. "Oh no, Sam!"

"They can't hear you, you know," Clockwork said.

"I have to save her!"

"I know. Unfortunately…I don't exist anymore."

Danny's eyes widened. "He- he killed you? But you're a ghost! How can you kill a ghost?"

"It's the Ghost Zone. Ghosts can be killed here."

"Oh no…" Danny muttered.

"He has my staff, too, so he can control and alter time."

Danny stared at the screen in disbelief as Sam screamed. "But… but he's me! I wouldn't hurt Sam…"

"You with your human side wouldn't."

"How- how do I save her? How do I get there?"

Clockwork sighed. "It's in the future, of course. I want you to take…this."

The ghost held up a round, green crystal, surrounded by silver swirls. "What is it?" Danny asked.

"There is an object discovered in the future called the Mirror of Truth. It lets you see your true self, among other things. This fragment of it will help you travel through time."

"How do I use it?"

Clockwork nodded toward the screens. "Just step through one. It'll take you there. Whatever you do, _don't _let go of it."

"What if I drop it?"

Clockwork sighed. "Hold out your wrist."

Danny did, and the fragment became of twisted silver bracelet with a gleaming emerald gem. "Remember, Danny. If you take it off, you're no longer safe. If you have that fragment, it _guarantees _that somehow, you'll find that mirror. Don't take it off."

"Right."

"All right, Danny. Good luck."

Danny nodded and stared at the screens. Sam screamed as Dan slammed her backwards into a wall. "Let me go!"

Then, Danny stepped forward and phased through the screen.


	2. Time Out

**Author's note: Seriously, if you think **_**I **_**came up with **_**Danny Phantom**_**, it may already be too late for you. It belongs to Butch Hartman. If I owned it, it wouldn't be fanfiction, would it now?**

Danny Phantom felt covered in tiny pricks- sort of the feeling you get when your leg falls asleep- when he phased through the screen. Sound was the first thing he noticed. "Let me go, you creep!"

_Sam! _He thought.

Danny blinked rapidly. It looked like they were in a dark warehouse of some sort. He phased invisible and crept forward. _Maybe I can surprise…_

Dan looked up and chuckled. "A ghost?" he asked. "I wonder who it is."

_Oh, crap! Why didn't I think of that?_

Dan dropped Sam on the ground, and the girl gasped. Danny clenched his hands into fists, desperately wanting to leap forward and assure Sam everything was going to be all right. Then, Dan leaned sideways and grabbed something- Clockwork's staff. Sam scrambled away. "Time out!" Dan called, pointing the staff at her.

Sam froze immediately in place. Dan chuckled. "Stupid girl."

He stepped closer, nearly right in front of her and whispered, "Time in."

"Stay away from her!"

Danny flew forward and pulled Sam back with him. "Danny!" she gasped.

Dan chuckled. "Ready to play?" he asked.

"Sure. What about freeze tag?" Danny asked, his eyes beginning to glow blue.

"Actually, I was thinking more on the lines of catch."

"Catch wha-"

Danny was knocked backwards by a blast of energy. He stood shakily, and Sam was right behind him. "Get out of here," he muttered. "He's dangerous; he can control time, Sam."

"I'm not leaving you."

"So I suppose you know about Clockwork?" Dan asked conversationally, as if he weren't walking towards both of them with a murderous gleam in his eyes. "You have another time medallion. Well, that's not all this staff can do."

"Why are you doing this?" Danny asked, trying subtly to push Sam back towards the door.

"Why? Why _shouldn't _I?"

"Sam, please…" Danny muttered.

"No."

Dan took a deep breath and let out an ear-shattering wail. Danny yelled as he and Sam were both slammed against the opposite wall. "Sam, get out of here! Go get help!"

Sam ran, and Dan raised Clockwork's staff. "Time-"

Just then, Danny aimed a blast of ice at his evil self. Dan smiled. "Ice?" he asked. "I'll have to figure that one out. Any last words before you die?"

"I'm not going to die," Danny said.

"No? Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

***

Sam ran, wincing at the first time she'd seen the sun in…how long? A month? Two months? It felt like forever. She ran through Amity Park, but it didn't look the same. _I must be in the future. That makes sense. I need to find help. Danny needs help!_

Sam almost tripped once, but she managed to recover before she fell and continued running. Soon, she came to where Fenton Works was, or rather, where it _should _be. In its place was a pile of broken steel, wood, and glass. "No…no!"

_Who else? Who can help? I don't know…no, I can't fail Danny!_

Sam felt very much like crying then, but she knew that if she cried she wouldn't be able to stop. "What do you want?"

Sam whirled around. A girl stood behind her, probably about eighteen or nineteen with a black ponytail. She wore blue jeans and a blue tank top. What Sam noticed was the white logo on her shirt. It was the same on Danny's costume that she'd designed. "Aren't you…?"

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, and then, her sky blue eyes widened. "Sam!" she exclaimed. "It's…it _is _you, right?"

"Danielle! Dani! We have to help Danny! He's being attacked by his evil future self, and he controls time!"

Danielle pursed her lips, thinking. "What's going on?" Sam asked. "What happened to Fenton Works?

"There's no time," Danielle said. "Come with me. If evil Danny can control time, then we'll need some protection."

"What? He's in trouble! We-"

Danielle grabbed Sam's wrists, and they phased through the ground. The Fenton lab was still intact, although it had clearly seen better days. Where the ghost portal had been, was a piled of rubble. Glass fragments from broken beakers littered broken tables and chairs. "What happened?"

"Dan- evil Danny- happened. He came about two months ago. He wreaked the place, killed Danny's parents, and…himself," Danielle whispered.

"If he killed Danny _now_, how is fifteen-year-old Danny going to beat him?" Sam asked.

"He won't," Danielle replied, searching quickly through a broken cabinet.

"Then, why are we waiting? Let's _go_!"

"Sam!" Danielle yelled suddenly. "Stop and _think_! Dan can control time. He can stop time. That means we're powerless unless we have a time medallion or…"

"The Specter Deflector!" Sam exclaimed. "Of course!"

Danielle nodded, finally pulling out a box from the rubble. "Here. Take one, Sam."

Sam looped the belt around her waist. "I'll warn you," Danielle said, "I don't know if these will work on everything Dan can do. We might still be powerless."

"We can't let him kill Danny."

Danielle's blue eyes changed green. Her clothes became black and white. The girl looped the other Specter Deflector around her waist and nodded. "Let's go save Danny."

***

_No, no, no, no! _Danny thought, as he felt suddenly 'heavier'. When he was Danny Phantom, he always felt weightless, as if he were swimming or surrounded by water. Danny Fenton was heavier, with the force of gravity pulling down on him.

Two rings of light surrounded him, then faded. Danny shakily stood. _Still Danny Phantom, _he thought.

"Still going, are you? I'm beginning to think you'd like to be a full ghost."

Danny couldn't think of a sarcastic reply and merely shook his head. Then, the door to the warehouse burst open. "Stay away from my cousin!"

Danielle entered, smiling. "Dani!"

Danielle nodded to Danny and shot an ectoblast at Dan. Sam knelt beside Danny. "Danny, are you all right? I'm so sorry. It took so long."

Danny shook his head. "It's all right. I need to help Danielle."

Sam grasped his wrist for a moment, and stared up at him. For a moment, Danny thought she didn't intend to let him go. Danielle's surprised yell brought them both back to reality. Danny flew forward, his eyes blazing blue, as he released an ice attack.

The ice froze over Dan, but the ghost shattered it moments later. He wailed, sending both Danielle and Danny flying into a wall. Danny blinked rapidly. Everything was beginning to swirl and blur together. "Danny!" someone yelled. Sam, maybe? Or was it Danielle?

Weight suddenly pressed down on him. Bright flashes of light flickered, and more yelling. Then, Sam was at his side. "Danny!" she screamed. "Danny, please, wake up! Danny!"

There was a bright flash of green light, and that was the last thing Danny remembered.

***

For some reason, writing that made me think of _Harry Potter_. Hm. Anyway, something I've always wanted to do- review responses (Yes, I'm a dork who needs a life)!

ShieldMaid4JC: Well, kind of already replied to yours. I'm pretty mean with cliffhangers.

Niece of the Prophet…: Thanks. I don't know about 'epic', but I do hope this one works out well. I'm really excited about it.

Invader Johnny: lol. Thank you very much.


	3. For the Time Being

**Author's Note: See previous chapter.**

"Ow…man, my head."

"Danny!"

Danny blinked, wincing at the pain in his head. "Are you all right?" Sam asked, her lavender eyes filled with concern.

"Besides feeling like someone just hit me in the head with a hammer?"

"Yeah…besides that."

Danny sat up and frowned. "I feel fine. Are we in the Ghost Zone? What happened?"

"Well, you'll never guess. _I _showed up to help- future me. Tucker was there, too, and… Valerie. Then, Dan said we were finished, and we ended up here. I think he must've used Clockwork's staff to get us here, so a better question might be _when _are we."

Danny nodded, his head hurting too much for him to really care what Sam was saying. "What's with the weird bracelet, Danny?"

Danny looked down at the silver bracelet on his wrist. "Oh. It's…there's something we need to find that is found in the future. It's a shard from a mirror."

"We need to find a mirror?" Sam asked.

Danny shrugged. "Clockwork wasn't really clear. I suppose we need to get out of here first. Your parents have been frantic."

Danny stood and morphed into Danny Phantom before lifting Sam off her feet. "Did…did he hurt you?" Danny asked.

"No…" Sam muttered, looking away from him and shivering.

"Sam?" Danny asked.

"I'm all right, Danny," she said, clenching her teeth together tightly. "Drop it, ghost boy."

"Okay," Danny mumbled.

Danny continued flying when Sam said, "I'm sorry. I'm just tired…and hungry."

"Well, we can fix that- assuming my dad hasn't eaten everything in the house."

Sam chuckled. "I think this is us," Danny said. "I hope…I hope we end up in our time."

Danny and Sam emerged from the portal into the Fenton lab, which looked…well, exactly like it always had. Danny grinned. "This looks…right."

"Did you not expect it to look right?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Not in the mood, Plasmius. What do you want in here anyway?"

"Oh, Jack just _insisted _I look around," Vlad replied, smirking. "What are you _wearing_?"

Vlad stepped closer, and Danny tensed, standing protectively in front of Sam. "I've seen that before."

"Huh? This?"

Danny held up the time medallion, and Vlad shook his head. "On your wrist."

"You've _seen _it? Where?" Danny asked.

"Why would I tell you?" Vlad asked.

"He kills you," Sam interrupted.

"Who?" Vlad asked.

"In the future. I saw it. Danny kills you."

"What are you talking about?"

"That's why you're going to help us find out where you've seen that bracelet before," Sam replied, "Because if we _don't _find what we're looking for, you're going to be killed."

Vlad laughed. "You can't be serious."

"I'm _dead _serious," Sam replied darkly.

Vlad frowned. "What's in it for me?"

"Danny, what's the date?" Sam asked quietly.

"The- the date? It's April…April the sixth. Why?"

Sam stepped around him and right in front of Vlad. "A month then? I've been missing a month?"

"I'm sorry," Danny whispered. "I didn't know…I just woke up one morning, and you were gone."

Sam appeared to ignore him. "I was locked in a warehouse for a _month_, and it was _pure torture_. Do you know who did that to me? It was Danny- evil Danny. Well, 'Dan' happens to be Danny's ghost side and your ghost side. I saw him literally rip you apart- right before he killed Danny's parents. If you think I'm going to just stand by and watch that happen to _him_ when I _know _you can help us, you're wrong. I'm not going to go through that again, and I'm _not _going to let anything happen to Danny."

"S-Sam?" Danny whispered. "Please, what happened? I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

Sam's gaze softened a little when she looked back at Danny. "It's not your fault," the girl replied. "So are you with us, Plasmius, or not?"

Vlad looked at the two of them calculatingly. "How did you get here? Maddie and Jack are just fine."

"He can control time," Danny replied.

"Then, he'll probably be after you. I wish you luck," Vlad said.

"He'll kill you, too," Sam replied. "You know he will."

"Sam, let's get you home," Danny said. "Your parents missed you."

"Not until he agrees to help us," Sam said.

"Please…just say yes," Danny said.

Vlad smiled suddenly. "Very well, Daniel. I shall help you. Be at city hall tonight at eight."

"Thank you"

Vlad shrugged. "So what _are _you going to tell your parents, Samantha?"

"That…we can't tell them the truth," Sam said, looking at Danny.

"We'll say… you were kidnapped- by ghosts and…then…"

Sam smiled slightly. "And then Danny Phantom saved me. It's close enough to the truth."

Danny nodded. "Yo, Vlad, are you in there?"

Danny grabbed Sam and phased through the ceiling. Sam leaned her head against Danny's chest and sighed. "Are you…?"

Danny looked at her, and she didn't _look _hurt, but Danny couldn't shake off the feeling that _something _must've happened. After all, when he'd seen her through the screen in Clockwork's lair, Dan had slammed her into a wall. "Danny, don't beat yourself up over it. I think Dan already beat you up enough."

Danny chuckled. "Yeah…I'm going to have this headache for a while."

Soon, they arrived at Sam's house. "Do you want me to carry you in?" he asked.

Sam snuggled closer to his chest. "Please?"

Danny nodded, and they phased through the door. Sam's mother sat at a desk, her forehead lying on her slender arms, her auburn hair looking unusually disheveled. "M-mom?" Sam asked weakly. "Mom?"

Sam's mother raised her head, and her eyes widened with shock. "SAM! Oh, it can't be, but it's really…_Sam_."

Sam's mom stepped forward as if in a trance, to run her hand through Sam's hair. "Sam…"

"Mom, I- I'm sorry."

Her mother shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "What happened, honey? Your father…I'll call him and let him know you're all right. We thought you ran away."

"No, I didn't! I- I would never. I was kidnapped by…"

"The ghost boy," Sam's mother interrupted, seeming just to notice who held her daughter in his arms.

"Danny Phantom, actually."

"Yes, he…he saved me," Sam replied, "From some evil ghosts."

"_Thank you_," Sam's mother said. "Thank you!"

Danny shifted awkwardly on his feet as Sam's mother hugged them both at once. "You're more than welcome," Danny replied. "I'm just glad Sa- she's safe."

He carefully set Sam on the floor and smiled. "Stay out of trouble now," Danny said. "Your friends and family would be very sad if something bad happened to you."

"I'll be careful," Sam said.

"Oh, your friends! They've been just _frantic_! That Fenton kid just couldn't believe it, and that Foley kid…you know, I ought to call them- and your father. Yes, I should."

Sam's mother left the two of them alone in the room. "Sam, I want you to stay away from me. Dan will be after me."

"You know he'll be after me, too," Sam said. "I won't abandon you now, Danny. Nothing you say can make me leave."

Danny put a hand on the side of her face and leaned forward. "I wonder…do you…do you remember kissing me?"

Sam raised her head and nodded slowly. "Yes. Why?"

Danny smiled ruefully. "I was proving to myself it really happened. No one in our time seems to remember the asteroid incident."

"I remember it."

Danny nodded, and there was a loud ringing. "Your phone!" Sam gasped.

"I gotta go!"

Danny phased through the front door before answering his phone. "Hello?"

"Oh, is this Sam's little friend? The Fenton kid?"

"Oh, yeah, it's Danny."

"Well, she's back! Sam is back!"

Danny smiled. "That's _wonderful_," he said. "I'm very glad she's back. I'll come see her as soon as I can."

"Oh, she'll be so excited! Bye!"

Danny shook his head and hung up. Normally, Mrs. Manson looked at him as if he were a piece of gum on her shoe or something. Sam's father was les-than-pleasant, also. Danny looked down at the bracelet gleaming on his wrist and sighed. _Clockwork, I hope you knew what you were doing, because I have no idea what to do now._

***

Author's Note: Yeah, I ended the last two on rough cliffhangers, so I thought I'd end this one more nicely. Things sort of pick up from here.


	4. Time and Time Again

Danny Fenton rang the doorbell to the Manson residence. Sam's mother opened the door and smiled broadly. "Oh, _Danny_, Samantha will be delighted to see you! She mentioned you were going to city hall for some reason?"

"Oh…um, yes. I happen to know Mayor Vlad. It's city hall, you know…it's cool and all."

"Oh, I'm simply delighted Sam is going out with some friends! Come on in, dear, come on in!"

Danny blinked a few times before obliging. Sam walked past and stared at him before a smile lit up her face. Instead of her normal clothes, she wore blue jeans and a black tee. "I wasn't sure if you'd come," she said, smiling wryly.

"Well, Tucker is going to meet us there, and I had a feeling you'd show up whether I came to get you or not."

"He called…and came to visit earlier," Sam said.

Danny chuckled. "Sam, what are you wearing? Is that Danny Phantom's logo?"

"So maybe I want to show my appreciation for the ghost boy."

"Well, why don't you two go on along?" Mrs. Manson asked cheerfully. "Have fun, and for God's sake, stay _safe_."

"We will," Danny said, opening the door for Sam.

As soon as he closed the door, Danny sighed. "Sam, do you think your mom is acting a little…odd?"

"Maybe. It could be because I've been missing a month."

"Possibly. My logo?"

"I _did _design it, and my old clothes were really…just really dirty."

"Well, to city hall, I suppose."

"Can- will you fly me there?" Sam asked.

Danny glanced around and looked at her oddly. "Is it really that important to you?"

"Yes."

Danny smiled slightly and morphed, lifting Sam up and flying higher into the air, above all the houses below. Sam snuggled into his chest again, momentarily surprising Danny for a moment. _Is she all right? Did he hurt her? I can't bring it up; it'll just upset her._

Sam sighed sadly as Danny slowly began his descent to city hall.

***

"Ah, the Mirror of Truth is what you seek. Correct, Daniel?" Vlad asked, smirking.

"Yes."

Vlad nodded. "Hm. Are you familiar with the story of _Snow White_?"

"Are you kidding?" Danny asked.

"I rarely joke, Daniel."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "So, wait," Tucker interrupted. "Is this the mirror from where the evil stepmother/witch/whatever asks who the fairest one of all is?"

"Yes, and the Mirror told her. There was once an evil queen in the Ghost Zone, and she ruled with an iron fist with the help of her mirror."

Vlad flipped through a book and showed them a page showing an intricate silver mirror with a bright, green stone at the top- one that looked incredibly like the one on Danny's wrist. "Yes, well, since the mirror always told the truth…"

"She could stop rebellions!" Tucker exclaimed. "She could know _everything_!"

"What happened to it?" Sam asked.

Vlad shrugged. "No one knows," he said. "It vanished after she died."

"But there must be some sort of clue or something!" Danny said, slamming his fist on the table. "We have to find it!"

"I think right now not getting _killed _by your future self should be our top priority," Vlad said. "I'm beginning to think I should just kill you and do his job for him."

"Do it, and I'll blow your brains out with the Fenton Bazooka," Sam hissed, surprising them all.

"Your temper rivals Daniel's, Samantha. Don't worry. I won't hurt him…much."

Sam glared at him. "Plasmius, can I talk to you alone?" Danny asked.

"If you wish."

Vlad shifted into his ghost form and floated through the ceiling. "Stay here, guys," Danny said.

"No," Sam replied. "What are you doing?"

Danny sighed. "Please, Sam," he said, before morphing into Danny Phantom and following Plasmius.

When he arrived on the rooftop, he looked around. "Well, what do you want?" Plasmius asked, his arms crossed.

Danny sighed and shifted his weight uneasily on his feet. "I-I've been through this long enough that I know when…when someone…" Danny shook his head.

"Is there a problem with your English?"

"Plasmius, please, she's been through a lot. This is the last thing she needs right now. Can you just help us and cut down on the threats for now?" Danny whispered, almost pleadingly.

Plasmius looked at him for a long moment before chuckling. "Is that a show of humility, Daniel?"

Danny clenched his fists and frowned. Gravity settled around him as he became Danny Fenton, and he slowly nodded. "Please, just help us with this. We…we need your help."

"Hm…most curious."

Plasmius stepped closer, and Danny tensed at his approach. He considered phasing back into Danny Phantom for a moment, but he didn't. Instead, he looked at the ground and blushed. Plasmius tilted his chin up, forcing Danny to look into his red eyes. Danny felt energy rush through him, and the rings appeared around him, like they always did. Plasmius shook his head. "Don't change. I'm not going to hurt you."

Plasmius stared at him a moment later and shrugged. "Well, Daniel, it's funny how alike we are."

"I'm not like you, and if I have anything to say about it, I never _will _be."

Danny did morph that time, his green eyes blazing. "You're wrong about that," Plasmius whispered. "I would've done the same for Maddie."

Danny was speechless. Plasmius walked away and then turned around and shook his head. "Listen to me, you stubborn teenage boy. Dan hasn't killed you yet, so clearly he's taking time to plan something- something _big_. Since he can control time, there's no telling what he can or will do, so you'd better move fast. Whoever has Clockwork's staff controls time. If the mirror does hold the key to stopping him, you need to find it. I suggest you start rereading some Brother's Grimm, Daniel. You'd better get your friends; they might not be safe alone."

Then, Plasmius turned around and vanished, leaving Danny Phantom standing alone on the roof of city hall.

***

Author's Note: Duh, duh, dum! And the review responses!

Invaders Johnny: Yes, the time line is a jumbled mess. There _is _a reason Sam's mom is acting so odd, but I'm not quite there yet.

Transformers-chick: Thank you very much.

LoVe-N-HaPpInEsS- Well, I certainly didn't want you to die waiting! You might go ghost and come haunt my laptop!


	5. Perfect Timing

"Hey, look! Fentonio's _girlfriend _is back!"

Danny looked at Sam to gage her reaction. She smiled sweetly and said, "That's right."

Sam kissed him on the cheek, and Danny blushed. "Ah! I missed it!" Tucker complained.

"We've kissed before," Danny said.

"When?"

"After the dis- you don't remember, do you? The giant asteroid that was going to kill us all?"

Tucker frowned. "I think I'd remember something like that."

Danny shook his head. "No one seems to remember- except Sam and me."

"Danny, do you think Dan had something to do with that?" Sam whispered. "Maybe he went back in time and did something to make it not happen."

"But _why_?" Danny asked. "That doesn't make any sense. I don't understand why he hasn't killed- or tried to kill me yet. It doesn't make sense."

Danny rubbed his wrist absentmindedly. "And then there's this bracelet-thingy. I still don't know what it does or how to use it."

"That," Tucker said, "Is why I spent last night watching Disney movies!"

"Come on, Tuck, _Disney_?" Sam asked. "They don't even tell the stories right!"

Tucker rolled his eyes. "Wait. What…what if we asked another ghost?" Danny asked. "I mean, if Plasmius knew about Snow White, maybe another ghost did, too! We should-"

Danny's ghost sense chose to go off just then, and his eyes widened. "I'm…"

Danny rushed into an empty classroom. "I'm going ghost!" he yelled.

Danny Phantom flew back into the hall. Sam stood ready, holding the Fenton thermos. "Sam…"

"Shut-up, Danny. I've helped you fight ghosts before."

Danny looked at Tucker helplessly. Screams filled the hall as terrified students ran past them in the hall. "Miss me, Baby?"

"No, not really."

Danny turned around and faced Ember, with her purple guitar in her hands. The ghost girl's blue hair flared brightly as she struck a chord. The force of the blast knocked Danny backwards. He took a deep breath, about to let lose his ghostly wail when something tugged at the back of his memory- an older, much heavier Ember with angry green eyes and a hoarse, hissing voice. _After your accursed wail destroyed my vocal chords…_

Ember struck another chord, and Danny charged at her. "Ah, so you remember me."

"Unfortunately," Danny muttered.

Ember kicked Danny in the stomach, and he shot upwards, knocking into the ceiling. "What's wrong? Don't you like music?"

"I do, but MTV is so overrated these days."

Danny aimed an ecotblast at her, knocking her guitar from her hands. "No!"

"And once this is guitar is gone-"

"NO!" Ember screamed.

Danny looked up in surprise, accidentally releasing the ectoblast at the instrument. To his surprise, a ghost shield appeared over the guitar, sending Danny's attack back at him. He slid across the floor and winced. Ember rushed to her guitar, hugging it as if it were a child. "You're finished!" Ember spat.

"Oh, I don't think so," another voice replied.

"Who are you?"

"Plasmius!"

Danny stood, glaring at the other hybrid, who shook his head. "I thought now would be a good time to intervene."

"You've been _watching_ me? That's just _wrong_! What are you, a pedophile?"

"Ever killed someone in cold blood, Daniel?"

"Have I ever…?"

"Oh, yes, you've knocked a few ghosts like her back into the Ghost Zone, but you've never _killed _anyone."

"I wasn't going to kill her!"

"On the contrary, you should be thanking me. I just saved you from becoming a murderer. If you incinerated her guitar, she would've died."

"B-but how?"

Danny turned to Ember, and the ghost glared back at him. "Why do you think I sing?" she asked.

Danny shrugged. "Because you feel like it?" Tucker guessed, coming to stand beside Danny along with Sam.

Danny cast a quick look at them both; they both looked okay. "I sing because it's all I have left from being human. I've had the guitar since I was ten."

Ember ran her fingers across the strings, casting her eyes over all of them before settling them on Danny. "Do you know how I died? No, of course not. You might find this interesting. His name was _Daniel_. He had a nickname, though. Guess what we called him?"

The half-ghost, half-human winced. "Danny?"

Ember's eyes narrowed, and she nodded. "Well, it's a pretty common name," Tucker interrupted. "It's the seventh most popular name in the U.S."

"Just let her get on with it, unless Daniel here would like to be caught by his classmates?"

"Sorry," Tucker mumbled.

"He was sixteen; I was seventeen," Ember continued, absentmindedly strumming her guitar. "He was cute, too- blonde hair, green eyes, with a smile that could melt my heart. Well, he encouraged my singing. I wanted to make it big, and I _was _pretty good. I was walking home with him after a show one night- just enjoying the night. Then, I was attacked by a man. He took his knife and slit it right across my throat, and guess what my best friend did? He _ran away_. He didn't call the police, didn't try to help me, didn't even scream for help. He just left.

I thought I was going to heaven, but I didn't. I ended up here- with my guitar. It's my link to this world. All ghosts must have some physical object to link them to the real world, or they die totally and completely. Mine is my guitar. The funny thing is, the longer I'm a ghost, the more I wish I were human, and the more I feel like I'm losing my humanity. Could you imagine that, dipstick? Living for centuries, watching everyone around you die…I _hate _you. I hate you."

Danny simply stared at Ember, not wanting to feel the pity he felt for her. _So what now? I shove her into a thermos?_

"I'll let you off this time," Ember muttered, "But next time you'll pay."

The ghost vanished in a flash of blue flames. "I-I almost killed her?" Danny asked uncertainly.

"Surprised, Daniel?" Plasmius asked.

"Why'd you stop me?" Danny asked.

"You don't think I can just do something because I want to?"

"Normally, when you do something it means something bad for Danny," Sam snapped.

Plasmius glared at her and looked as if he were about to say something. He didn't, though. Instead, he turned his attention back to Danny. "You're what- fourteen?"

"Fifteen. I turned fifteen last June."

His archenemy shrugged. "The point _is _you're not a murderer- not _yet_. Now, I'll be leaving, Daniel. I suggest you do something before someone see you like this. Someone might wonder where Samantha's loyal boyfriend is."

"Yeah, the last thing we need is rumors that Sam is cheating on Danny…with Danny!" Tucker said.

Plasmius rolled his eyes and turned around. "Wait!" Danny said. "Um…I, uh…"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"I…uh, know there's something in this for you, or at least you think there is, but…thanks."

"I'm not sure why you think I'm such an evil person, Daniel."

"Ask _Danielle_. Ask _Valerie_. Ask _Jazz_."

Plasmius sighed. "I really hope he doesn't kill you."

"Do you know why he hasn't?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea. I'll be close, though- very close."

Plasmius then vanished, and the three teens heard footsteps. "Danny!" Sam gasped.

Danny closed his eyes and changed back into his human self, just as Mr. Lancer came panting up the steps. "_The Raven_!" he gasped. "Why are you three up here?"

"We…um…"

"We saw Danny Phantom kick ghost-butt!" Tucker replied.

Mr. Lancer frowned. "Mm hm. Well, the three of you are about to be late for class."

"Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore'," Danny muttered.

His teacher looked at him in surprise. "So you _do _learn things in my class."

"I…I guess so," Danny said.

"Since when do _you _read Poe?" Sam asked. "I didn't think you were into dark stuff."

"I…I'm not. I don't think I've _ever_ read that book," Danny replied, following Mr. Lancer.

"Clearly not; it's a poem."

"Hm…well, that's odd," Danny mumbled. "Hm…nevermore…"

***

Author's Note: Yeah, I know it's kind of a weird chapter, but there's a reason it's there. It's actually quite important later. The next chapter we get to learn about Snow White! And on to the review responses!

Invader Johnny: Is Vlad hiding something? Well, maybe he is; maybe he isn't. It seems like he's _always _hiding something. I definitely have a few ideas for _what _he's hiding.

Niece of the Prophet Zarquon: Thank you very much for the review! It was really very good (the review, I mean)…I hope this chapter fulfilled your expectations; it's going to be quite important later.


	6. Time to Fly

"So…do you remember me having to stabilize Danielle?" Danny asked.

Tucker nodded. "But you don't remember the Disasteroid?"

"Nope."

"Sam?"

"Of course."

Danny, Sam, and Tucker sat in the school library, trying to piece together all the different things they seemed to remember. "Okay…" Danny said. "Tucker, what did we do for…St. Patrick's Day?"

Tucker frowned. "I don't know. We…Sam wasn't there."

"Sam?" Danny asked.

"I don't even remember it," she muttered.

"But…but we went to the dance together!" Danny protested.

"We did?"

"Yeah. I have a picture…"

Danny opened his wallet and frowned. Where there had been a picture of him with a green jacket and Sam in a black and green dress, both smiling, was now a picture of himself sitting at a table, looking sadly up at the camera. "But…you were here…"

Danny set the picture on the table, and Sam shook her head. "I don't remember that. Dan captured me."

"Yeah, Danny, besides, weeks after Sam disappeared, you just flew around, depressed," Tucker added.

"I don't…I don't remember."

"That's why you didn't come," Sam muttered.

Danny blinked in surprise. "Sam, I just woke up one morning, and you were _gone_. If I could find you, I would've. I wouldn't have stopped until I found you. I promise."

Sam smiled sadly. "So…if Clockwork knows everything, how did he get killed?" Tucker asked.

"I don't know," Danny muttered. "None of it makes any sense at all. Why hasn't my darker self killed us yet?"

"Maybe he can't. Maybe that bracelet does something," Sam suggested.

"Maybe…"

"Maybe he figures you can't do anything yet, so he'll just wait- you know, secure the future first," Tucker said.

Danny nodded, twisting his wrist to watch the light reflect off the bracelet. "And I _still _don't know what exactly this thing does, or how I find this mirror. I hate just sitting here, waiting."

"Well, I did some research," Tucker said.

"Tucker, I don't think _Disney_ is going to help us," Sam muttered.

"Nope. Actually, I used Wikipedia."

Danny and Sam groaned. "Where is this stupid mirror?" Danny asked. "How are we supposed to find it when we don't know where to look?"

The jewel on Danny's wrist glowed brightly, causing him to jump. "Whoa…freaky," Tucker said.

"The Mirror of Truth answers any question truthfully," Sam said.

"How did you…?"

Sam shrugged. "I skimmed while you were chatting with Plasmius. What did you talk about anyway?"

"Eh, nothing."

"So…Mirror of Truth, where is the…um, rest of you?"

The jewel flared more brightly, suddenly jerking Danny to his feet. "Whoa!"

Danny slammed into a wall and winced, being pulled along by his wrist. Sam and Tucker both rushed to his side. Danny grinned. "I think we're about to find our mirror."

***

Danny carefully folded a letter on his desk. He had a bad feeling this was going to be a long trip. _Dear Mom and Dad, Don't worry about me. I have to do something. I'll explain when I get back. I'm safe; I promise. Love, Danny. _

It was short, sweet, and to the point. If he were missing long enough that his parents thought to look in his room, then, he needed to leave some sort of note. "Sam and Tucker will be over here soon," Danny mumbled, looking down at his wrist. "Then…into the Ghost Zone."

***

"Sam, darling, where are you going?"

Sam froze, halfway out her bedroom window. "Oh…um, I was…I'm going to see…a friend."

"Oh, a sleepover! Is it?" Sam's mother smiled back at her.

"Yeah…sort of…with…uh, Star."

"What about your other friends- Danny and Tucker?"

Sam's eyes widened in surprise. "But you said…you'd never let me spend the night with…with a _guy_!"

"Did I?" Sam's mother asked. "Well, it's fine! Just use the front door, darling!"

***

"Ready?" Danny muttered.

Sam and Tucker nodded. "I'm worried," Sam said. "My mom was acting strange…she caught me and _let me go_."

"That is…odd," Danny murmured. "What'd you tell your parents, Tucker?"

Tucker shrugged. "I'm over at your house. And you?"

Danny frowned. "I'm with the mayor."

"You told them you were with _Plasmius_?" Sam asked.

"Well, my dad trusts him- even if we all don't," Danny said.

"Ah, why don't you trust me, Daniel?"

Danny morphed into Danny Phantom as his ghost sense went off. "What do you want?"

"Why, I'm coming to help, of course."

"No- no way."

Plasmius sighed. "Trust me, my boy; you _will _need me. You don't expect this mirror to just be out in the open, do you?"

Danny exchanged a glance with Tucker, who shrugged. Sam caught his eye, and, to Danny's surprise, nodded. "What?" Danny asked.

"I don't trust him, either, but…he is a powerful ghost, and if we die he does, too," Sam said, her lavender eyes harsh.

"Okay, but I _don't _like it."

"Then, carpe diem!" Plasmius said.

Danny took his spot in the Specter Speeder, and Plasmius snorted before taking the seat beside him. "What?"

"You can drink this _thing_, but you can't drive a car."

"I would've passed driver's ed if it hadn't been for that stupid Lunch Lady," Danny muttered. "Why're you coming along anyway?"

"Did you consider that maybe I just _happen_ to care about you?"

"Maybe you trying to kill me has something to do with it."

"Hey, we'd better get going before your parents come in here or something," Sam said, peering out the window.

"Okay," Danny said, holding his wrist up. "Mirror of Truth, where can we find the rest of you?"

The bracelet glowed, and a map appeared on Tucker's PDA. "Yes!" Tucker said. "I knew that would work!"

"Well, let's go!"


	7. Time Travel

"How's school going, little badger?"

"School?" Danny asked.

"Sure. How's Valerie?"

Danny shot him a quick glare before returning his attention to the controls, as they flew through the Ghost Zone. Tucker and Sam were both sleeping, so it looked like it was just Plasmius and himself awake. Plasmius chuckled. "Oh…temper. Maybe you should start having counseling."

"Look who's talking, froot loop. I don't even know why you're here."

"I'm here because _you _invited me."

"I didn't _invite _you. It's because Sam…" Danny glanced back at his friend and sighed.

"Now you'd _hate _to lose her, wouldn't you?" Plasmius muttered.

"I know you're plotting something."

"Ah…you're so suspicious. I wonder where you get it from; it certainly isn't from Jack."

"Does everything you say have to put down my dad? At least he's not a bitter, old bachelor who _needs to get a cat_!"

"I am not old! I do have a cat…although anything is better than having such a naïve, bratty, impulsive, hormonally charged teenager as a son! Oh, you'd better watch where you're going, Daniel, or you're going to run into that door."

"Gah!"

Danny steered the Specter Speeder away from the door. He glanced down at the interface and frowned. "This mirror is pretty far away," he muttered.

"Of course it is."

"Oh, _of course it is,_" Danny replied in a fairly good imitation of Plasmius's voice.

"I do _not sound like that_!"

"Whatever, froot loop."

"If your mom and I _do _end up together, I'm sending you to military school."

"In your dreams. Besides, what happened to anything being better than having a naïve brat as your son? What are you- bipolar?"

"I am not bipolar! I'm actually surprised you know what 'bipolar' means."

"I'm not stupid," Danny muttered.

"Oh, yes, your grades don't reflect that, you know?"

"I make average grades," he muttered.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang. "What was that?" Danny asked.

"I don't know! You're the one driving!"

"Danny?" Sam, asked staggering to her feet and holding her head. "What- what happened?"

"Sam!" Tucker exclaimed.

"What?" she asked.

"No…_Sam_!"

Tucker pointed, and everyone followed his finger. A girl stood (well, technically, floated). She wore black pants and combat boots with what looked like some sort of utility belt around her waist. The girl wore a purple camouflage top. Frowning, she redid her long, black hair into a ponytail before glaring at Danny and saying, "I can_not _believe you just hit me with the Specter Speeder!"

***

Future Sam sat in the Specter Speeder with Sam and Tucker. "So how'd you get here?" Danny asked.

"Clockwork," she replied, holding a time medallion in her hand.

"He gets around," Danny muttered.

"He _used _to get around," the future Sam said. "Used to."

"Why are you here, though?" Sam asked.

"I ran into _him_," she replied. "Plasmius, why is he here?"

"It turns out I'm helping, Samantha."

"Nobody calls me _Samantha_!" both Sams protested.

The future Sam smiled slightly. "I guess some things never change."

"Sam…er, future Sam," Danny said, "Do you know about the Mirror of Truth?"

"Yes, I destroyed it."

"Destroyed it?" Danny gasped. "But we…"

"In the future," she said calmly. "I needed to keep Dan from using it, so I destroyed it. Why do you want to know?"

"Clockwork told me to find it, so we're following where this bracelet tells us to go."

"Hm…interesting."

"So…you saved Sam and me before?"

"I did."

"Am…am I _dead _in the future?" Danny asked.

"Yes."

"I'm supposed to be _dead_!" Danny gasped, half-turning in his seat.

"Daniel, watch where you're _going_!"

Danny turned back around and sighed. "Why don't you let me drive?" future Sam asked. "You look tired."

Danny shook his head. "What happened, though?" Tucker asked. "Why did you come here?"

"After Dan sent Danny and Sam back in time, he turned to fight us."

"Us?" Danny asked.

"Oh, you know- Valerie, Danielle, Tucker, Dash, and me."

"_Dash_?"

"Yeah, weird, I know. Anyway, we fought. Tucker and Danielle managed to get time medallions before Dan destroyed Clockwork's lair. I'm the only one still alive- because I pulled off my medallion."

"Do you know why he hasn't killed me yet?" Danny asked. "I mean, in my time?"

"Why would he bother? You're not a threat to him in the past, _and _I have a theory. I think he knows you're looking for the Mirror, or rather, you're doing something for Clockwork."

"Then, maybe we shouldn't find the Mirror!"

"If Clockwork told you to find it, find it. He _does _know _everything_," Sam said, smiling.

"You're married!" Tucker exclaimed.

Danny glanced over his shoulder to see the gold ring with a blue stone and diamonds on it. "Who to…?" he asked.

Future Sam smiled. "Was married, would be the proper term, I think."

"Me?"

She nodded. Danny turned back around, grinning widely. Plasmius rolled his eyes. "Are you staying?" the present, unmarried Sam asked.

"I am. I think you could use my help- especially if you're desperate enough to let Plasmius help you."

"Very mature, Samantha," Plasmius said.

Future Sam smiled, putting her hand on Danny's shoulder. "Funny. You used to tell Danny that all the time. So…I suppose you two are still enemies."

"You _suppose_?" Danny asked.

"You're quite a bit closer in the future."

"We _are_?" Danny asked. "You can't be serious."

"I always told you you'd join me," Plasmius said, smirking.

"So…who's alive in the future?" Tucker asked. "Is everyone…?"

"I'm alive. Kwan is- and Star. Most moved away, or were killed. Dan was very thorough…I suspect Jazz is alive somewhere, although I haven't seen her in a while."

"Everyone is dead," Danny whispered. "It's…"

"Unreal? It's isn't real yet, Danny. If we can do anything to stop it, we will."

***

"Got it."

A red-haired girl with green-blue eyes smiled, very proud of herself. The ghost portal opened before her. Jasmine Fenton, known to everyone as simply 'Jazz', checked her calculations again. "Are you there?"

The Ghost Writer emerged from the portal. "I'm telling you that he's too strong now."

"We have to try to stop him somehow!"

"Stop me how, Jazz? Time out!"

The girl half-shrieked before she froze, along beside the Ghost Writer. "Jazz…" Dan muttered. "A very smart attempt- very brave of you. Sadly, for you, it wasn't smart enough."


	8. Timely Departure

Future Sam smiled, glancing at Danny, asleep. She turned her attention back to her driving. "So, it's been a while, Plasmius."

"Has it, Samantha?"

She nodded. "What are you planning?" she asked. "I know you; you're not just doing this out of charity. That's not like you."

"Oh? I could ask you the same thing- running away to another time like a coward, rather than staying in your own time."

Sam sighed. "Maybe I am a coward, but I won't let Danny die- or Tucker…or myself."

"Where did you get that scar?"

Sam glanced down at the long scar running up her arm. "Dan did that."

"And yet you still love Daniel."

"They're different people."

"Perhaps," Plasmius said.

***

She was still alive- barely. It felt like her lungs were on fire, but Dan always liked to toy with his victims, and Jazz wasn't going to go quietly. "Blood blossoms," she whispered, holding one of the red flowers in her hand. "I'm very glad Sam grew some of these. I'll be safe…for now."

Jazz stood and walked quietly behind the destroyed buildings. Her plan with the Ghost Writer failed miserably. She hesitated beside a half-destroyed house. The girl smiled halfheartedly before stepping inside. This was where Danny and Sam used to live- back before this mess started. Originally, Danny rented the house, hoping to hide his ghostly alter-ego. After he and Sam became engaged, though, her parents disowned her, and she moved in with Danny.

Things were rough until Danny got a scholarship from the West Cooperation for Paranormal Study. Jazz smiled slightly. No one realized at the time that _Vlad _was sending the couple money to get by. _He turned out all right in the end, _Jazz thought.

She stepped into the study, looking at the small bookcase. Jazz smiled at a single photograph that was on the floor in a broken frame. She knelt down and looked at it. _Danny and Sam Fenton, married October 31, 2013. _Leave it to Sam to have her wedding day on Halloween. Some things just never changed.

Jazz chuckled. Danny and Sam were in the center of the photo, with Tucker, the Box Ghost, and Clockwork to the left. To the right were their parents, Jazz herself, and Dash. _Dash…_Jazz's eyes filled with tears. _Dash._

She sank to the floor, smiling sadly at the photo. Sighing, she removed it from the broken frame and stuffed it in her pocket. _Well, I need to do something besides sitting around and crying._

The girl stood, walking determinedly through the house. A trail of blood blossoms led down to the basement and the ghost portal.

***

"Skulker!"

The mechanical ghost nodded to Jazz. "Ah, the whelp's sister."

"Yeah…how's the plan going?"

"You realize you're expecting us to fight someone who can control time, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

Skulker shook his head. "We're fixing the mirror, but that doesn't _guarantee _it'll work."

"It's our only hope; there has to be _some _way to defeat Dan."

A tiny girl floated by- Boxed Lunch. "Beware!" she said in a shrill voice.

"Get going, you pest!" Skulker yelled. "If I hear 'beware' _one more time_-"

Just then, the unlucky Box Ghost floated by. "Human! Beware!"

Skulker sighed. "I'm working with a bunch of morons!"

"Can I see the mirror?" Jazz asked.

Skulker nodded. "Follow me."

"Don't you think we should move it?" she asked. "What if Dan finds it?"

"We'll just have to hope the shield holds out," Skulker replied. "It'd be easier if the whelp weren't dead."

Jazz flinched. "It's all my fault he's dead," she whispered. "He died defending _me_."

For once in his life, Skulker had no idea what to say. "I-I sort of miss hunting him," the ghost hunter said finally. "The whelp was…could be very entertaining sometimes."

Jazz smiled sadly, fingering the picture in her pocket. _How did we come to this?_

***

"How far do we have to go?" Danny asked.

"For the _last time_, Daniel, _I DON'T KNOW!_"

"Man, you don't have to scream," Danny replied, crossing his arms. "It was just a question. Have you considered seeing a therapist?"

"Military school!" Plasmius threatened.

Both Sams and Tucker sighed. "There's no use trying to stop them," the future Sam muttered.

"I don't know, but I think if we have to stay in the Specter Speeder much longer, those two are going to kill each other," Tucker replied.

"I agree," Sam said.

"Fruit loop!"

"Boy!"

"Jerk!"

"Arrogant!"

"Can't the two of you say something _nice_ about each other?" the future Sam asked.

"No," Danny said, "Because he _has _no redeeming qualities."

"Neither do you! Just you watch; your arrogance is going to be your downfall!"

"All right," future Sam said, taking the Fenton thermos from her belt. "Both of you say something nice to each other _now_."

"No way!" Danny protested.

"Do it, or I swear you will spend the rest of this trip crammed in the Fenton thermos."

"And I _married _you?" Danny asked. "You're mean!"

"Danny, say something nice to Vlad."

Danny sighed, grudgingly looking at his archenemy. "You um…nice cape. You have a nice cape."

Plasmius's expression brightened. "Why, thank you, Daniel."

"Your turn," Danny said.

Plasmius grinned. "Nice weather we're having."

"What?"

"She said say something nice to you. She didn't say it had to be _about _you."

"I hate you," Danny muttered.

"See; this is why you aren't good at chess. You don't _think _or pay attention."

"I can play chess just fine!"

Sam sighed. "Here they go again," she muttered. "Hey, future me; do you want to drive?"

"Might as well," future Sam said.

Tucker sighed and began playing 'Brick Attack' on his extra PDA (the one that wasn't currently being used as a map). "You rash, impulsive brat!"

"Bitter, old man!"

"I am not old!"

"No, you're right; you're _ancient_!"

"You stupid, pasty-faced, egotistical _kid_!"

"I am not a kid!"

"Here we go again," Tucker and both Sams sighed.

****

Author's Note: Yep! Mostly filler this time, but I can't just have them poof! And be at the mirror. So we know a little bit more about what Jazz is doing…Jazz and Dash!?! Like what's up with them, right? Next chapter will be flashbacks to hopefully clear up a few of the mysteries we have going.

…..

Invader Johnny: Yeah, Sam's mom is pretty creepy right now.

Niece of the Prophet Zarquon: You're right; Danny is definitely _not _the perfect character, but that's kind of what makes him so fun to write about. I'm definitely not offended; it was a good observation.

Transformer's-chick: Well, see, everyone has memories from a different timeline. We'll figure out why Danny remembers what he does a little later. ;)


	9. All in Good Time

"He did it!" Dani squealed, pumping her fists in the air.

Sixteen-year-old Dani hid in the Fenton RV along with Jazz, who'd just returned from college for break, and Tucker. Dani and Jazz cheered, bouncing in the Fenton RV, as they watched a television screen.

Twenty-year-old Danny Fenton blushed as Sam Manson hugged him, nearly knocking over her chair in the process. Danny suddenly looked up, frowning. "Is that a camera?"

Sam followed his gaze. "Who would be watching us?"

"Crap!" Tucker exclaimed, flipping off the screen. "I bet he's coming! Try to act natural!"

Dani jumped in a chair and began flipping through a magazine. Jazz hovered over her shoulder, and Tucker pretended to be checking email. Moments later, the ghost boy and Sam entered the van. "Fancy seeing you here," Danny said, his green eyes glowing.

Dani grinned and hugged him. "I hear wedding bells!" she proclaimed in a sing-song voice. "Can I be your bridesmaid, Sam? Please?"

"You and Jazz…and Valerie."

Dani squealed. "And do I get to be the best man?" Tucker asked.

Danny grinned. "No, I was going to ask Plasmius to do it."

Tucker rolled his eyes. "I'm happy for you, man."

"Now we just have to tell my parents!" Sam said.

"Uh…yeah."

"Don't be worried," Sam replied. "I'm sure they'll be fine with it; you _are _a hero, after all."

***

"S-Sam? Please, Sam, please wake up. Say something. I don't care if you say you hate me; just say something."

"D-Danny?"

Sam blinked groggily. It _sounded _like Danny. Everything was so bright. And white. She tired to move her arm and gasped in pain. "Am…am…where am I?"

"The hospital. I'm sorry. It was Vortex. I'm sorry…you tried to help me, and that lightning…I'm so _sorry_!"

The girl laid her head sideways, staring at Danny. He had morphed into his ghost form, and his white hair fell into his tear-filled green eyes. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

Sam blinked, realizing his suit had several rips, covered in both blood and ectoplasm. There was a bruise over the side of his face, and his hands shook as he grasped the blanket over her. "You look awful," Sam muttered.

"No…it's nothing. Do you…do you remember?"

Sam closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, I don't. Vortex…I was struck by lightning? How did I live?"

"You lived, but you have some burns on you. You were in a coma for four hours. I- I thought I'd lost you, Sam!"

Sam smiled weakly. "Not yet," she said. "I'll be fine. Danny, please, get some rest. You have circles under your eyes. When did you sleep last?"

"Um…yesterday."

Sam sighed. "Why did you assume I'd hate you?"

"I don't know…I just…couldn't do anything. I promise, Sam; I won't let anything ever hurt you again. I _swear _it."

"I know you won't," Sam whispered.

"SAMANTHA!"

The door burst open, and Sam's parents burst into the room. Much to Sam's (and Danny's) surprise, her mother carried an ectogun, which was pointed right at Sam's fiancé. "Mom! What are you doing?" Sam gasped.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Pamela Manson said, "Or I _will _shoot you, ghost boy."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"Mom, he's my fiancé! You can't _shoot _him!"

"This engagement is off!" Sam's father, Jeremy, declared.

"WHAT!?" Sam yelled, jolting up from her bed before screaming in pain.

"Sam-"

Danny rushed forward to help her, to be stopped by Sam's mother. "Stay away from her! You and your stupid ghost friends- this is all your fault!"

"It's not his fault!" Sam protested. "Mom, please!"

"Here."

Jeremy Manson tossed something to Danny, who caught it easily. "Is that my engagement ring?" Sam yelled. "You _stole my engagement ring_!"

"The engagement is off," Sam's mother said coldly. "You were almost killed because of him. I don't know what you see in him, anyway. He's a freak!"

"He's a hero!" Sam protested.

"Sam…" Danny whispered. "Your parents are right. I'll be going."

Danny closed his hand over the ring, and Sam shook her head. "Danny!"

The ghost boy vanished. "Daniel Jacob Fenton!" she yelled. "Come back…"

***

Danny Fenton walked down the streets of Dimmesdale, a town about an hour away from Amity Park. He stopped and smiled slightly as a kid- probably about ten- with a pink hat, walked down the street, holding two balloons- one pink and one green. He looked so carefree, walking down the street. Danny sighed and continued walking. Dimmesdale was as good a place as any to start a new life, and, hopefully, Danny Phantom wasn't as famous here as he was in Amity Park. Danny sighed, smiling sadly. _I'm starting a new life with nothing but some clothes, twenty bucks, and an engagement ring._

***

"Mrs. Fenton-"

"Call me 'Maddie', Sam."

"Oh, Maddie, have you seen Danny?"

Danny's mother lowered her eyes, and she sighed. "No, I'm sorry."

"Oh…thank you."

Sam walked back to her car. She merely sat for a while with her hands on the steering wheel. She thought about calling Danny again, even though she knew for sure that he'd left his phone behind. In fact, he hadn't taken much at all- some of his clothes, his wallet, and her ring. Sam carefully unfolded the letter in her pocket, rereading it for probably the hundredth time. _Sam, Please, don't come look for me. Your parents are right; you're better off with out me. I hate to break your heart; I really do! I wanted this so much…but I mean, you'll get over it. You're strong. You'll find someone who's just right for you! You're so smart, charming, beautiful…I love you. Good-bye, Danny._

"I don't want someone else!" Sam wailed. "I want _you_!"

"Tissue, Samantha?"

Sam nodded, accepting the tissue, before she yelled in surprise. Vlad Masters grinned back at her. "A simple 'thank you' would've sufficed."

"What do you want? If this is some plot to get Danny-"

"And you back together?" Vlad asked.

Sam blinked in surprise. "What? You mean, you _want_…?"

"That's something Daniel never understood- how much I cared about him. Maybe this will help."

Vlad passed her a manila folder that read 'West Corporation for Paranormal Study'. "You!" Sam gasped. "_You _gave Danny the scholarship for college!"

"More than enough," Vlad replied. "Even with a job, he still needs extra money for the rent- and clothes."

"Does he know?" Sam whispered.

"No, he doesn't."

Sam hugged the folder to her chest and let out a strangled sob. "I want him back!"

Vlad put a hand on her back and hugged her. "Samantha, we'll get your little badger back for you."


	10. Right on Time

Danny sighed, flying invisibly over the town. _No ghosts here, _he thought wryly.

The ghost boy smiled slightly. No ghosts. In a way, it was nice. In another, it made him feel horribly isolated. He'd become a magician, and he was pretty good due to his ghostly abilities. He had enough money to get by for the most part. He knew he could probably pawn Sam's engagement ring for some money, but he simply couldn't make himself do it. "Shouldn't you be back home- shoving some ghost into the Fenton thermos, little badger?"

"Oh, great. I want some company, and I get the crazed up froot loop!" Danny growled.

Plasmius smiled. "You know; I think you're becoming as heartless as me, Daniel."

"What do you mean?"

"The girl- Samantha. You broke her heart."

"It was for the best," Danny mumbled.

"Was it?" Plasmius asked.

"Yes, she almost died because of me!"

Plasmius chuckled. "Don't flatter yourself, Daniel."

"But it's _true_!" he whispered.

Plasmius shook his head. "Get this through your thick head. There would be ghosts with or without you. If you weren't there to push them back into the Ghost Zone, that girl's time would've been up a long time ago."

"Are…you really…?" Danny shook his head in confusion.

Plasmius put a hand on his shoulder. "Think about it, Daniel."

***

Sam placed a small box in her purse before turning back to her purple suitcase, stuffing it with more clothes. Her mother entered her room and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Here's your credit card, Mom. Thanks for letting me use it."

"What did you buy with it?"

"A ring."

"Oh, can I see your ring?"

"It isn't for me," Sam replied.

Her mother didn't take the hint. "I'm _leaving_," Sam said.

"Samantha Elizabeth Manson!" he mother gasped. "You-you can't leave!"

"I'm twenty. I can leave if I want to. I was planning on moving out soon, anyway."

"Wait. You bought a _ring_? Is this about _him_? Samantha, I forbid you to-"

"You forbid me to do _what_? Love him? Marry him?"

"If you go see him, your father and I _will _disown you. He's dangerous."

"I don't care," Sam said, grabbing her things.

"Samantha!"

Sam ignored her mother, feeling immense satisfaction as she started the engine of her car.

***

Dimmesdale was a bit bigger than Amity Park was. Still, it was a small town, and it was one of those towns where everybody knew everybody. _I wish Vlad had been more specific, _Sam thought.

The girl had checked into a hotel, and she now walked down the streets. She thought she'd have a better chance finding Danny on foot than in a car. She finally walked into a convenience store to buy a soda. _How am I going to find Danny? _She thought.

"Oh, hello, Miss. You knew in town?"

A lanky, brown-haired teen smiled at her. Sam nodded. "Yeah. I'm actually looking for a friend who just moved here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, his name is Daniel."

"Well, there's a lotta Daniels out there, Miss…?"

"Sam. His name is Daniel Fenton. He has black hair, blue eyes…he's twenty."

"Nope. Can't say I've seen him."

"What about a boy with white hair and green eyes?"

The cashier laughed. "No…another friend of yours?"

"Yeah," Sam muttered. "Thanks."

"I'm here 'till ten- just in case you can't find your friend. I'm available."

"Eh…yeah, sure, thanks."

Sam left, hearing the bells jingle on the door as it shut behind her. "Danny…"

Sam suddenly felt something dig into her shoulders- almost like fingers. "Whoa! What's going on?"

"I'm just speeding things up a bit," Vlad's voice replied. "This ought to get young Daniel's attention."

Sam yelled in surprise. Danny _never _flew this fast. "I'm going ghost!" Sam heard his yell before she saw him.

At the same time, Plasmius dropped her. "Danny!" she screamed.

Suddenly, he was under her and carrying her. She was floating. "I'm very sorry, Miss…Sam…"

They floated gently to the ground, and Danny cast a quick look around before morphing and turning swiftly around. "NO!"

Sam grabbed his arm, nearly pulling him to the ground as she got on her knees. "Please, don't! I love you!"

"Sam…this isn't…it isn't safe," he whispered.

Sam ignored him, though. She drew a small box from her purse and opened it. She watched the shock play across Danny's face as he stared at the ring in the box. "This is the last thing I bought before my parents disowned me," Sam said.

"They disowned you?" Danny asked. "Sam, you have to make up with them! They're your parents!"

"And you're my fiancé!"

"No…I'm not. Sam, you could've been hurt much worse than that. What about next time?" Danny asked. "Hm?"

Sam shook her head. "Danny, I could be hurt doing any number of things- crossing the street, swimming…how am I going to be any safe with ghosts haunting Amity Park if I don't have my ghost boy with me? How am I going to be happy without _you_? Without _both _sides of you? Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom, I love both sides of you. Please…Danny, will you marry me?"

A look of bewilderment crossed his face before he smiled and whispered, "Yes, Sam, I would be honored to marry you."


	11. Tests of Time

In the present time, Danny had resumed driving the Specter Speeder with present-day Sam sitting next to him. "Sam? Uh…future Sam?" Danny asked.

"Hm?"

"I just wondered…what could you tell us about this mirror?"

"Ah, yes, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Of course, you all know that story."

"Or Snow White and the Seven _Ghosts_ if you believe my parents," Danny muttered.

Future Sam chuckled. "The story of Snow White is about an actual queen that ruled the Ghost Zone. The Mirror you speak of was created later in her reign by herself and the council of Observants."

"Wait," Tucker said, "Aren't they the ones with Clockwork?"

"Sort of. They try to keep the Ghost Zone in order- sort of like the F.B.I. Some of their methods aren't really…humane, though."

_Leave it to Sam to worry about humane and inhumane punishment, _Danny thought, smiling wryly.

"Anyway, the Mirror was a gift from them, and it was, really, just a very fancy mirror. The queen- her real name was Margaret Diana McAllison, and you've heard of her, but probably by another name. Bloody Mary."

"Bloody Mary?" Danny asked. "But I always thought…?"

Sam shrugged. "It's true," she said. "Now, like most ghosts, she had unique powers. She could…change reality to some degree. Mary was very, very vain, and she worried about two things: her kingdom and her beauty. She enchanted the mirror to answer the question of who the most beautiful one of all was."

"How stupid," Plasmius muttered. "_That_'s all she wanted the Mirror for? To tell her she was pretty?"

"Yes," Sam said, "But finally, she realized she could make it answer _any _question. She would've been very powerful- even more powerful than both of you, even more powerful than Dan."

"If she was so powerful, though," present-day Sam said, "How did she end up dying or whatever?"

"Oh, she did well for a while, but she was too vain. The queen had her Court in the Ghost Zone, and one of her servants was a fifteen-year-old girl, the one you probably know as Snow White. Here's the interesting part. Normally, the queen said, 'Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?' Well, when she went to her mirror one day, she- probably by a slip of the tongue- said, 'Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the most _beautiful _one of all?' The mirror replied 'Snow White'.

You see, _beauty _is a… beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and although Mary was very pretty, she wasn't pretty inside, and Snow White was. She plotted to kill Snow White, and this is where much of the traditional story comes from. Terrified, Snow White pleaded with the Observants to help her, and only one had the courage to do so. He left them to help Snow White, and his name was Clockwork."

"Clockwork?" everyone (except future Sam) shouted at once.

Future Sam chuckled. "Clockwork, the Master of Time, is a very powerful ghost."

"If he's so powerful, how did Daniel manage to defeat him?"

Sam narrowed her eyes. "I don't know- especially when he saw this coming. The thing to know about Clockwork is that he _always _has a plan- always. He's a very interesting ghost. He watches everyone, of course. He always had a fondness for you, Danny."

"Why me?"

"He was proud of you for the way you used your powers. I'm not quite sure how you felt about him, but he saw you…I guess almost like a son."

_Great, _Danny thought. _Him and the froot loop._

"Well, he wasn't as obsessed with you…as some," future Sam replied, almost as if she knew his thoughts.

"So what happened?" Tucker asked.

"Snow White and Clockwork managed to defeat her, kill her, and set Snow White on the throne. The royal line ended with her, and Pariah Dark took over after her. Now, there's the all powerful mirror. It had potential to be used as good, and Snow White used it for good. After Pariah Dark killed her, though, the Mirror needed to be hidden for the protection of everyone."

"And Clockwork hid it?" present-day Sam asked.

Her future self nodded. "Why didn't Clockwork destroy the Mirror?" Plasmius asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's the strange thing. The Mirror can't be destroyed by an actual ghost. It has to be done by a human or a halfa."

"Which is why he chose me," Danny replied.

Future Sam nodded. "So how far do we have to go?" Tucker asked.

"Quite a long way," Danny said. "At least, it looks like it."

"I wonder how long we've been in the Ghost Zone," Sam said.

"About three days," Plasmius replied. "And if _someone _doesn't stop eating all the food…"

Everyone glanced at Tucker, who was holding an open bag of potato chips. "What? I'm hungry! There's plenty more!"

"So what exactly should we do when we find the Mirror?" Danny asked.

"We need to ask it how to defeat Dan. Then, we must destroy it."

"Destroy it?" Plasmius asked. "But it's a….just think what you could _do _with it- what you could find out!"

"Yes, what we could find out," future Sam muttered. "Some things no one should find out, don't you agree, Vladimir?"

Plasmius shook his head. "I don't know what you're blathering on about, Samantha."

"Oh, I think you do. Guilt can be a very driving force- so can remorse."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it, okay, Danny?"

"Um…okay, Sam."

Future Sam smiled. "I suppose you think the future is very bleak right now. Some of it's fun- like the time you thought I was kidnapped by ghosts after our wedding."

"Why did I think that?"

Sam laughed. "Well, you saw me in my dress before the wedding, which is bad luck, of course. Well, Ember showed up at the wedding, and we decided to get you back. We pretended she was kidnapping me."

"But why was Ember there?" Danny asked. "At…our wedding?"

"She was angry we didn't invite her, so she invited us to the Ghost Zone. Turns out, they planned a wedding party for us. Every ghost you've ever met was there. Clockwork gave us time medallions as gifts, so we'd have them in case something went wrong."

"And something did- me."

"Actually, Danny, Dan isn't really _you _anymore," future Sam said. "Think of him as…an older, long-lost cousin or something."

"Did I go?" Plasmius asked.

"You did. Danny protested for a while, but we did owe you. It was nice; Ember wrote a song just for us."

"She did?"

"Yeah," Sam chuckled. "It became a number one hit."

"But…why would I let Ember…?"

"Strange thing, but ghosts aren't as eager to kill you in the future," Sam replied. "Maybe your humanity rubbed off one them."

"Is Skulker still trying to mount my pelt on his wall?"

"Yes, he is."

"What about Valerie?"

"She gets around. She works for the C.I.A."

"Jazz?"

"Psychologist- Jazz _Baxter_."

"She married _Dash_? _Why_?" Danny asked.

"I never understood it either," future Sam said dismissively.

***

At FentonWorks, at the same time Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Vlad were flying through the Ghost Zone, Jazz was getting worried. "It's a funny thing," she heard Jack mutter, "But I don't remember sending Danny off for any camp."

_Well, at least we're on spring break, and he won't miss any school, _Jazz thought.

"Oh, honey, you know how kids are these days. I'm sure he's fine."

_I'm not, _Jazz thought.

Suddenly, red lights flashed, and a siren blared all over the house. "Spook!" Jack yelled.

Jazz looked frantically around her as her parents rushed behind her, wielding the Fenton bazooka and the Fenton Jack-of-nine-tails. _Please don't be Danny. Please don't be Danny._

Skulker burst through the floor. "Where is that ghost whelp?"

"Ghost!" Jazz yelled.

Skulker looked at her oddly. "The whelp's sister."

"Ah! Mom, Dad, look- a ghost is terrorizing me! Oh no!"

"Stay away from my daughter!" Jack yelled, aiming the Fenton bazooka at Skulker, and missing his shot. Of course.

"Wait!" Skulker said. "I only seek the ghost boy, so that I may mount his pelt upon my wall!"

"The ghost boy?" Jack asked. "You're after that jerky Danny Phantom, too?"

The ghost hunter looked surprised for a few moments. "We're going to catch that ghost first!" Jack declared.

Skulker sighed wearily. "You're not worth my time," he said, before phasing through the ceiling.

"Yeah, you'd better run, spook!"

"Hm…"

Maddie fiddled with a device in her hand. "We've never had this many ghost attacks all at once. I wonder what's causing it."

"Yeah! Poor Danny's away at camp, and he's going to miss all the action."

"No! I-I'm sure he's fine!" Jazz said, smiling brightly. "In fact, I bet he's having a great time! Nope, no need to worry!"

"Still…maybe we should at least call him," Maddie said.

"No, please, Danny is old enough to take care of himself," Jazz said.

"Of course he is, sweetie," Maddie said. "We just want to be sure he's all right."

"Yeah! That's why we bought him a cell phone! So we could track him and be sure he's no near any ghosts!"

"Oh…well, I'm sure he's fine!"

"Still…maybe we should…"

Maddie fiddled with the device some more and frowned. "Hm…this is odd. Maybe his phone is out of service?"

"There's no way the Fenton cell phone doesn't work!" Jack protested. "He'd have to be in a parallel dimension- like the Ghost Zone or something!"

"Well, he's definitely not in the Ghost Zone," Maddie said, laughing. "I'm sure it's just a bug; we'll work it out."

Then, a box of cereal rose into the air all by itself. Jazz gasped. "BEWARE! I am the Box Ghost, ghost of all things square!"

Jazz slapped a hand to her forehead as her parents sprang into action. _Danny, where are you?_

The girl thought a moment. Technically, she _could _find Danny with the boo-merrang. She'd done it before, but she couldn't see how that would help him. Besides, what could she say? 'Danny, get back here before our parents tear the house apart searching for ghosts'? "He can take care of himself," Jazz muttered.

"You know; only crazy people talk to themselves."

"Yes, I- who are you?"

On Jazz's window sill sat a ghost girl with white hair and green eyes. In fact, she looked much like a female version of- "Danny…"

"With an 'i'," the ghost girl said, smiling.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a clone of Danny Phantom."

"Oh, yeah, Danielle," Jazz muttered, thinking that maybe Danny _had _mentioned his clone a couple of times. "So why are you here?"

Danielle's expression suddenly grew serious. "Where is my cousin?"

"Who's your- oh, you mean Danny. I- I don't know where he is exactly. He's in the Ghost Zone, searching for the Mirror…some mirror. Do you know anything about that?"

"No, I was just making sure he was okay. Plasmius is gone, too."

"He's with _Plasmius_!" Jazz shouted.

"Hey, hey, I don't know for sure," Danielle said, raising her hands up and shaking her head. "That's why I came to see you. I noticed there are more ghosts than normal around."

As if to confirm her words, a small, blue fog came from the ghost girl's mouth. "See? I've been doing that all day; there are ghosts everywhere. The Guys in White are trying to hold them back, but, obviously, they missed a few."

Jazz began pacing, trying to think logically about the situation (well, as logically as one can think with a ghost clone of your sibling sitting on your window sill). "There must be something we can do…"

"I don't know."

"We can do it! We can catch those ghosts," Jazz said, pounding her fist in her hand.

"The two of us?" Danielle asked. "There are _hundreds _of them out there. How long has Danny been gone?"

"A week," Jazz said.

"I thought so. As soon as he was gone, the ghosts went crazy."

"We'll need help," Jazz said.

She strode over to her desk and pulled out a thick binder. "What is that?" Danielle asked, curiously hovering over Jazz's shoulder.

"It's the Casper High student directory."

"How did you get it?"

Jazz shrugged. "I helped out with counseling last year. It gives the phone number and address of every student in Casper High."

Jazz took out her blue phone and began dialing. "Hello?"

"Hey, Dash, it's Jazz."

"Oh, hey, yeah! Hey, Jazz! What's up?"

"There no time to explain- not now. Can you get your friends to meet me at the Nasty Burger at six o'clock? We're going to do something about these ghosts."

"I'll be there, Jazz," he promised.

Jazz clicked her phone shut and flipped it open, calling the next name on the list- and the next, and the next. Half the students were on vacations for summer break, but most of the ones she called were ready to help. Danielle smiled, sitting on the edge of Jazz's bed, swinging her legs back and forth in a rather childish manner. "Are you ready to catch some ghosts?" she asked.

Danielle shot up into the air and grinned. "Let's go kick some ghost butt!"

***

Danny Phantom heard his steps echo as he walked across a polished, black floor. Before him was a large mirror- taller than he was, in fact. The ghost boy carefully touched the silver surface, as if he expected to see something other than his own reflection. He smiled slightly, the green eyes of his ghost form staring back at him. "Danny Phantom, goody-two-shoes," a voice said mockingly.

Danny froze before slowly turning around. "Y-you?"

The voice was Dan's, and that was who Danny expected to be behind him. It wasn't. It was him. "Me?"

"Your ghost half," the ghost said, smiling.

Danny shivered. Then, his ghost half was right in front of him, smiling darkly. "W-why can't I move?" Danny asked.

His ghost side chuckled. "You're really a freak, you know that? I don't get how you can be so stupid."

"I am _not _stupid."

"Tsk. Tsk. Temper…overly powerful emotions, quick-tempered, and the desire to fight me for opposing you. It's rather ghostly, isn't it?"

"You tell me."

His ghostly self grinned. "You're doomed to fail. You know that, don't you? You can feel it. After all, even _Clockwork _wasn't strong enough."

"No, I'm not going to fail! I'm not going to fail…"

"You've failed so many times, though," the phantom hissed. "You fell under Freakshow's power and almost killed Sam. You've used your powers for selfish reasons more than once. You've went to hard on your enemies just to work out your aggression."

"I'm not evil."

"The world isn't black and white, but you are going to fail. Everyone you love is going to end up dead."

"That's not true!" Danny yelled. "It is _not_!"

"So you say."

***

"Daniel! Daniel, wake up!"

Danny blinked groggily, finding glowing red eyes hovering right over his face. "Gah!"

Plasmius rolled his eyes and hovered back. "Wha-what h-happened?"

Danny was sitting in the Specter Speeder, next to Plasmius, who was driving. "You fell asleep," he said offhandedly.

Danny had a feeling there was more to the whole thing than him just falling asleep. As if he read his thoughts, Plasmius sighed and said, "Go back to sleep, Daniel. I'm sure you're tired."

"Why do you care so much?" Danny asked.

Plasmius frowned. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

The older ghost sighed. "If I answer you, will you go back to sleep?"

"You seem to want me to go back to sleep pretty badly."

Plasmius ignored the remark and said, "I love your mother; I think I always will. It's odd…but I spent so much time trying to _destroy _you and ruin your life…maybe I am just bitter. The weird thing is…I _do _care about you. I really do hope you succeed in what you're doing- you and your hero complex."

"You could be a hero, too."

"No, I couldn't. Breaking the rules is too much fun," Plasmius said, smiling. "Still…I get tired of being alone."

"Internet dating."

"And do you think anyone trying to get a date on the _internet _would see anything besides my money? I love your mother, and I don't expect you to understand what I feel. Then, I met you- the only other half-ghost. For years, I'd had these powers as a secret- unable to tell anyone, and then I met _you_! It's…very difficult to explain. I suppose it's because you and I are a lot alike. Half-ghosts and all."

"So…like why don't you adopt a kid or something?"

"Are you volunteering?"

"Ugh. No. You know what? You're like Darth Vader with Luke Skywalker… except creepier."

"Oh, Daniel, I'd better watch that wit of yours. I might cut myself."

"Haha."

Danny tried to stifle a yawn, but failed miserably. Plasmius chuckled. Danny glared at him and said, "You're…"

"One seriously crazed up froot loop?" Plasmius finished.

Danny nodded sleepily. "Yeah. Something like that."

Plasmius smiled wryly. "Sleep well, little badger."

***

Author's Note: And there's that chapter! Gosh, I hate that I have so much filler stuff, but I don't want it to be like, 'they traveled. Then, they traveled some more…and some more…' but the plot will be moving along again soon- along with all the mini subplots. Thanks so much for the reviews- nothing left but the reader responses!

Invader Johnny: It's funny you mention Sam popping the question. I was actually going to let Danny do it and end it there, but the story disagreed with me. ;)

Niece of the Prophet Zarquon: You should totally start a club. I'm not sure why, but something about Vlad is just totally awesome. He's really fun to write- always has something up his sleeve.

Ndasuunye: Wow, thanks for all the reviews! Now, I'll try to answer all your questions. Um, the Snow White idea really just popped into my head. The idea for the Mirror of Truth came first. Then, I just randomly thought, 'Ha! It's Snow White's mirror!' I'm glad you liked the filler, and I actually am thinking about making the chapters longer. The last one was unbelievably short. There _is _a reason for Sam's mom acting the way she is, and as for Vlad…well, he's never as nice as he seems.


	12. Out of Time

Disclaimer: I don't own _Danny Phantom_, but I do _own _two horrible Mary Sues in another story.

------------------------------------------------

Jazz Fenton and Danielle Phantom marched ahead through Amity Park with nearly fifty teenagers behind them and Valerie Grey flying above them. They were doing well, capturing every ghost they could. Once more, a pale blue mist came from Danielle's mouth. "Ghost!" Jazz called.

Instantly, everyone was alert. They spread out, weapons and thermoses ready. Jazz split off into a smaller group composed of herself, Danielle, Dash, Kwan, Star, and most surprisingly Paulina (although Jazz suspected she'd just come in hopes of finding the ghost boy). Jazz blinked. The house looked familiar. "Who…?"

Dash ringed the doorbell, and a woman with red hair opened the door. "Hello, children! How can I help you?"

"Mrs. _Manson_?" Jazz asked.

"Oh, do I know you?"

"I'm Jazz…Jazz Fenton."

"Ah, yes, Danny Fenton is your brother. He's a nice boy."

_Since when? _Jazz thought. _Danny swears Sam's parents hate him all the time._

Jazz saw Danielle narrow her eyes, and without warning, the ghost girl flew forward, through Mrs. Manson's chest. Sam's mother gasped as a ghost floated behind her. "Hello, Jazz."

Jazz's eyes widened as she turned around. "It's Danny Phantom!" Dash yelled. "Whoa, have you been working out?"

"That's _not _Danny Phantom," Jazz said, "Not the one we know."

Dan chuckled. "No, the Danny you know and love is much weaker than I am."

"Where is he?" Jazz asked.

"He's exactly where I _want _him to be."

"W-what?"

"What have you done with the ghost boy?" Paulina yelled.

"Oh, I've done nothing to him…_yet_."

Danielle shot an ectoblast at him, which the older ghost easily deflected. "Can't you do better than that?" he asked boredly.

"Attack!" Jazz yelled, flipping the power switch on the Fenton bazooka.

"Show me what you've got, Jazz," Dan said, smirking.

"Why were you possessing her?" Danielle asked.

Jazz frowned. She'd forgotten all about Dan possessing Sam's mother. Dan chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked mockingly.

Then, he shot out an ectoblast which sent Danielle flying into a building. "Danni!"

"Jazz, look out!"

Jazz yelled in surprise as someone shoved her hard into the pavement, away from the blast of energy Dan had aimed at her. The girl winced at the pain jolting through her body. She groaned and took a hand waiting for her. Jazz allowed herself to be dragged behind a car before she looked up. "Are you okay?"

"Dash?" Jazz asked in a daze.

He nodded, and both yelled as the metal of the car crunched together. They backed away as the car flew over their head. "Ah, Dash and Jazz. I'm sure I'd be surprised and probably disgusted, but just about everything disgusts me these days."

"Stay away from her," Dash said.

Dan laughed. "Make me. I don't think you can, though, do you?"

"I bet I can!" Danielle yelled, aiming an ectblast at him.

Dan vanished before it ever hit. "Where is he?" Jazz muttered.

Danielle frowned. "I can't sense him anymore. He was the only ghost here."

"How?" Jazz muttered, "And why would he possess Sam's mom and just leave?"

"Who _is _he?" Dash asked.

"He's… Danny Phantom from an alternate future," Jazz said.

"He's evil?" Dash asked.

Jazz nodded. "So where's _our _ghost boy?" Paulina asked.

"I don't know."

"Can't we find him somehow? We could help him defeat that ghost!" Dash said.

"Dan said he was right where he wanted him to be," Danielle said. "That means a trap."

"You're right," Jazz said, her eyes widening. "Yes. The boo-merang should be able to find him."

"Then, let's go," Danielle said.

Jazz nodded. _Danny, please, be alright._

--------------------------------------------------------

Twenty-four-year-old Sam Fenton leaned back against the sofa, waiting. She heard a soft sigh as Danny stepped into the room, blue eyes flashing with annoyance. "The stupid Box Ghost," he muttered.

"I thought you were just leaving him alone."

"I was. He wanted me to buy more bubble wrap for his hideout in that abandoned warehouse."

Sam laughed. "And did you?"

"Yes," he admitted.

Danny sat on the couch beside her and shook his head. "Got a call from Tuck today," Sam said.

"Really?"

"Mm-hm. He's designed you a new battlesuit- some new, lightweight steel or something."

"My dad didn't help build this one, did he?"

Sam laughed. The last suit had electrocuted him. "That _hurt_!" Danny protested.

"Oh, I'm sure you've felt worse."

"Well…" Danny grinned. "Okay. Maybe I have. It still hurt."

The doorbell rang, and Danny raised an eyebrow. "Who could that be?"

"I don't know," Sam said, standing.

Danny stood also and walked to the door. "It can't be Tuck; he'd just walk right in."

He opened the door and frowned. "Huh."

"What is it?" Sam asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"A note?"

Danny carefully unfolded the paper and felt a chill run up his spine as he read. "What does it say?" Sam asked.

"Daniel, Samantha, Run. That's all."

"Vlad?" she asked.

"Most likely. It doesn't make sense, though. Why wouldn't he just tell us?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. What do you think we should do?"

"I think we should see if Vlad's home."

"This'd better not be some joke," Sam grumbled.

Danny passed her the note, and he pulled out his cell phone. Sam looked at the note and frowned. For some reason, the handwriting didn't look quite right to her. She wasn't sure why, though. "He's not answering. I'm going over there."

"I don't think you should," Sam said slowly.

"Why?"

"Gut feeling."

Danny shook his head and kissed her. "I'll be fine. You say that every time I try to go ghost-hunting, and it hasn't killed me yet. If he sent us a note, though, he may be in trouble."

"I want to come, too," Sam said.

"If you want."

Danny transformed into Phantom and picked Sam up in his arms. He turned them both intangible before he flew through the ceiling. "I don't like this," Sam whispered.

"I know, but I have to see if Vlad is okay. You know that."

"Hero complex," Sam muttered.

"Ah, but you married me anyway," Danny teased.

"You know…I'm pretty sure I was possessed when I agreed."

"When _I _agreed," he reminded her.

Sam sighed as Danny landed in the front hall of Vlad's house. "Do you think I should go invisible?" he asked. "Then, we'd have surprise if something was wrong."

"Surprise is good," Sam replied.

He turned them both invisible and flew silently through the halls of the mansion. Nothing seemed out of place. Danny came to the lab and gasped. "A ghost shield!"

"A ghost shield?" Sam asked. "What does _that _mean?"

"I don't know, but I think you're right about that bad feeling."

Danny turned back to his human self, and Sam reached into her jeans pocket and brought out the mini Fenton ray. They stepped carefully inside, and Danny morphed once more. They walked quietly into the lab and looked around. It was dark and unnaturally quiet. There was nothing out of place, though. Danny looked around. That moment, his ghost sense went off. He waited, but nothing happened. Sam took a few steps closer to him, and then, something hit him _hard_. Danny flew backwards, knocked into a wall. "Ow!"

He stood, his eyes wide. "Miss me, Danny?"

Danny glared at his evil self before smirking. "I'm beginning to think you're some sort of narcissist. You're obsessed with yourself."

"Cute. Still using the lame puns?"

"How did you get away from Clockwork?" Sam asked.

"Oh, Clockwork won't be coming to help you. In fact, he won't be helping anyone at all anymore. I am the Master of Time now, but I don't need the power of time to kill you. It's more fun this way."

Danny shot an ectoblast at him, which Dan dodged. Sam shot him, too, but it seemed to have no effect. "I've learned some new tricks," Dan said.

"So have I."

Danny's eyes glowed blue as he coated the room in ice- Dan included. "Sam, get a thermos!" he yelled.

Dan broke free from the ice and shot at him. Danny dodged and thought of using his ghostly wail, but Sam was still in the room. The shockwave would probably really hurt. Instead, he shot another ectoblast. Dan lunged forward, knocking Danny into a wall again. Danny stumbled forward and punched his alternate self in the face. "Danny!"

Sam, breathless, handed him the thermos. He aimed it at Dan, who vanished. Someone grabbed him by the throat, and Danny kicked behind him. He freed himself and whirled around. "_Sam!_"

Sam's eyes glowed red. "Is something wrong, Danny?"

Danny turned intangible and flew into Sam, but somehow, he didn't manage to knock Dan out of her. "How are you doing that?"

Dan laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Sam, please, it's me!"

Sam smiled. "She can't hear you; you know."

For a moment, though, Sam's eyes flashed lavender. Then, she aimed the Fenton ray at him. Danny dodged when Dan flew at him, knocking him to the ground. Another Dan flew from Sam. "Alright."

Danny tried to duplicate himself, too, but it didn't work. He yelled in surprise. Suddenly, his intangibility wouldn't work, either. "How are you _doing this_?"

Dan laughed as he became one ghost again. "I've redesigned the ghost shield to work against you. Nice, huh?"

"But we're genetically the same."

"No, we're not. Not anymore."

Danny aimed another ecotblast at him- thanking God _that _still worked- when Dan dodged and grabbed something from behind him. Danny yelled as he was sucked into a thermos. "Let him go!"

Sam came from behind, carrying a medium-sized gun. "Make me," Dan said.

Sam shot, and the blast hit its target. Dan smashed into the wall, actually going through it. "Powerful," he said. "I used to think these were indestructible."

"What are you- _Danny_! Where's…what did you do?"

"What did I do?" Dan asked. "You're the one who just blasted this thermos and caused it to disintegrate."

"No! No… Danny! He can't be…"

Sam felt herself crying, and she didn't try to stop it. "Please, Sam, you're so melodramatic. Congratulations are in order. You managed to kill him when I couldn't. _Thank you_."

Sam glared at him and shot. Dan dodged and knocked her to the ground. "They always said the truth hurts. You killed Danny Phantom. Good job, Samantha."

"No! You arrogant, sociopathic, son of a-"

"Don't worry. You'll be with him soon enough."

"Samantha!"

Sam felt as if she'd been dunked into ice water. Dan glared, looking around him. She'd gone invisible and intangible."

Then, the person holding her flew right into the Ghost Zone. "Vlad?"

"I am not sure, Samantha, which question I should ask first. Who was that ghost? Why were you in my house? Why did you _put a gaping hole in the wall of my house_?"

"That was Dan…or Dark Danny."

"Daniel?"

"Sort of. He's not _our _Danny."

"Then, where _is _our Daniel?"

"Vlad, what happens when you destroy a thermos with a ghost in it?"

"I didn't know you _could _destroy them," Vlad said. "I would assume the ghost would escape unless the thermos was completely disintegrated. That would be nearly impossible, though."

Vlad and Sam turned visible again, and he looked up at her. "Why?" He saw the tears and nodded. "Daniel was…inside a thermos?"

Sam nodded. "And I hit it with the Plasmius Specerus," she whispered.

"Wait. You can tell me everything later."

They flew through the Ghost Zone. _Danny, I'm so sorry, _Sam thought. _I'm so sorry._

--------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Now we know how Danny dies! Yeah…that's about it.

Invader Johnny: Everybody loves Ember. ^_^

Niece of the Prophet Zarquon: Yeah, Jack probably does have cookies hidden up his sleeve. And yeah, we'll get to see a little Jazz/Dash romance.

-LoVe-N-hApPiNeSs-: Thanks!


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